Carcinogens are substances that may cause or aggravate cancer. Many of the substances regulated by the EPA fall into this category. The Agency conducts and publishes risk assessment studies on individual carcinogens such as benzene, asbestos and butatdiene. On a larger scale, the EPA analyzes the long term carcinogenic effects of hazardous substances produces in industrial processes and left behind in hazardous waste sites. The EPA also researches the ways in which carcinogens are transported in the environment. Determining safe levels of exposure and promoting the use of alternates to carcinogens are part of the Agency's role in protecting human health and the environment.
Recommended EPA Web pages |